I was reminded of a good piece of advice recently: Don't look at you political opponents and their issues through your eyes. Look at what they say about issues through their eyes. This is very important. Let me tell you why. If you look at leftist, progressive, socialist, anyone with an anti-liberty bias, through your eyes, you may give your political opponents a benefit of the doubt they don't deserve. You may convince yourself that they only believe the way they do because they don't know any better. You make excuses for them saying, if they only knew... or don't they realize... Yes, they do know. Yes, they do realize.
The core of these attacks is Romney's career at Bain Capital, the centerpiece of Romney's campaign. Romney claims that his private sector experience of working to turn around and build companies uniquely qualifies him as the best candidate to tackle our nation's ugly financial mess, open up new markets for American businesses, and put many Americans back to work. And given the depth of our daunting financial mess and the backgrounds of Romney's competition - four career politicians and a player who grew up in his dad's company - it's little wonder that his message has worked. The results confirm that, in the minds of many, the strength of Romney's Bain message now trumps the warts that have always plagued Romney - an inconsistent record on social issues, a Massachusetts Romneycare plan that looks too much like Obamacare, a religion that many evangelists despise, and an inability to generate any giddy passion from voters. And, for that very reason, these Bain Capital allegations are dead serious. If in fact there is any substantial truth in them, the core pillar of Romney's candidacy could crumple.
But the significance of the attacks reaches beyond the risks to Romney's political fortunes. They go right to the heart of his fitness to serve as President. The essence of the allegations is not incompetence or bad judgment. The attacks are about character. Perry has no problem calling Romney "unethical" and claiming that he is unfit to lead the nation. And the Gingrich clowns fabricate facts to make Romney out to be downright evil. One can only imagine what the hard left has in store for Romney. So, on this one, the bottom line truth is all-important. Are these allegations by Romney's "colleagues" just another example of gross, politically-motivated intellectual dishonestly? Or was Romney really a bad guy at Bain Capital?
Bain's history is not an open book - nothing like a public company. It's a private investment firm that primarily invested in private companies. But real facts about Romney's Bain experience are now showing up and likely will continue to surface as the candidates take their circus to South Carolina. And the more I read about Romney's leadership at Bain, the more I am convinced that the truth (if smartly revealed) could set Romney free to actually strengthen his message.
Engineers engineer our world. Therefore it is up to engineers to take the lead and engineer a world in which the fundamental structure is democratic, thus fostering Liberty, thus improving the community at large, thus benefiting all Americans through the innovation of American integrity. How is it that we allowed undemocratic forces to usurp the fundamental principles that gave us all Liberty? The pursuit of Happiness is not viable under the present paradigm. Corporations require a complete structural remodeling to mirror the democratic American values that promote Liberty, and happiness for all. This is not a dream.
There is no doubt that, under Romney's leadership, Bain itself flourished as a company, delivered big for its investors, and did so by wrestling hard to build (not destroy) companies that it targeted for investment. Perry, Gingrich and many others may not understand or appreciate the role and importance of private equity investing and definitely want to perpetuate some false, twisted notion that Romney had a duty to create and maintain jobs that made no economic sense. But what's clear is that Romney did help many companies grow and, in the process, earned the reputation of a highly respected, honorable CEO of one of the absolute best private equity firms. And as hard as many might try, there does not appear to be any rational basis for likening Bain's business activities under Romney's leadership to the Wall Street shenanigans and abuses that lead to the bailouts and the garbage that nearly all have come to despise.
The time is here to identify the painful, insidious division, correct the problem and end the conflict. Is America a warrior empire that neglects its countrymen, or is America that shining light on the hill where the countrymen protect the eternal principles upon which America was founded, which today are in a state of severe disrepair? An engineer nexus made up of American engineers can bring the country back to its former glory. This is the only patriotic course. There is no other way.
The core of these attacks is Romney's career at Bain Capital, the centerpiece of Romney's campaign. Romney claims that his private sector experience of working to turn around and build companies uniquely qualifies him as the best candidate to tackle our nation's ugly financial mess, open up new markets for American businesses, and put many Americans back to work. And given the depth of our daunting financial mess and the backgrounds of Romney's competition - four career politicians and a player who grew up in his dad's company - it's little wonder that his message has worked. The results confirm that, in the minds of many, the strength of Romney's Bain message now trumps the warts that have always plagued Romney - an inconsistent record on social issues, a Massachusetts Romneycare plan that looks too much like Obamacare, a religion that many evangelists despise, and an inability to generate any giddy passion from voters. And, for that very reason, these Bain Capital allegations are dead serious. If in fact there is any substantial truth in them, the core pillar of Romney's candidacy could crumple.
But the significance of the attacks reaches beyond the risks to Romney's political fortunes. They go right to the heart of his fitness to serve as President. The essence of the allegations is not incompetence or bad judgment. The attacks are about character. Perry has no problem calling Romney "unethical" and claiming that he is unfit to lead the nation. And the Gingrich clowns fabricate facts to make Romney out to be downright evil. One can only imagine what the hard left has in store for Romney. So, on this one, the bottom line truth is all-important. Are these allegations by Romney's "colleagues" just another example of gross, politically-motivated intellectual dishonestly? Or was Romney really a bad guy at Bain Capital?
Bain's history is not an open book - nothing like a public company. It's a private investment firm that primarily invested in private companies. But real facts about Romney's Bain experience are now showing up and likely will continue to surface as the candidates take their circus to South Carolina. And the more I read about Romney's leadership at Bain, the more I am convinced that the truth (if smartly revealed) could set Romney free to actually strengthen his message.
Engineers engineer our world. Therefore it is up to engineers to take the lead and engineer a world in which the fundamental structure is democratic, thus fostering Liberty, thus improving the community at large, thus benefiting all Americans through the innovation of American integrity. How is it that we allowed undemocratic forces to usurp the fundamental principles that gave us all Liberty? The pursuit of Happiness is not viable under the present paradigm. Corporations require a complete structural remodeling to mirror the democratic American values that promote Liberty, and happiness for all. This is not a dream.
There is no doubt that, under Romney's leadership, Bain itself flourished as a company, delivered big for its investors, and did so by wrestling hard to build (not destroy) companies that it targeted for investment. Perry, Gingrich and many others may not understand or appreciate the role and importance of private equity investing and definitely want to perpetuate some false, twisted notion that Romney had a duty to create and maintain jobs that made no economic sense. But what's clear is that Romney did help many companies grow and, in the process, earned the reputation of a highly respected, honorable CEO of one of the absolute best private equity firms. And as hard as many might try, there does not appear to be any rational basis for likening Bain's business activities under Romney's leadership to the Wall Street shenanigans and abuses that lead to the bailouts and the garbage that nearly all have come to despise.
The time is here to identify the painful, insidious division, correct the problem and end the conflict. Is America a warrior empire that neglects its countrymen, or is America that shining light on the hill where the countrymen protect the eternal principles upon which America was founded, which today are in a state of severe disrepair? An engineer nexus made up of American engineers can bring the country back to its former glory. This is the only patriotic course. There is no other way.
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